Tom Ginsburg on the on Syrian Constitution Draft
Inside Syria MC exclusive: experts on Syrian constitution draft’s pros&cons
The intra-Syrian talks in Geneva are about to start. The meeting, organized by the UN, is aimed at finding a consensus between all the parties of the Syrian conflict. One of the cornerstones of a possible peace agreement is a new constitution which would both benefit the Syrian people and be agreed upon by the parties.
At the talks in Astana, Russia presented a draft constitution which envisages quite a number of significant changes compared to the constitution adopted in 2012. Inside Syria Media Center has contacted experts who shared their opinion on the draft and expressed their views on what kind of laws the today’s Syria requires.
The previous week, we published the comments of writer and political commentator John Wight. Today, we would like to share with our readers the opinions of Professor Tom Ginsburg and writer and columnist Brandon Turbeville who kindly agreed to answer our questions.
What are the benefits and implications of the new constitution proposed by Russia? Will it get the support of the Syrians?
Prof. Tom Ginsburg: I am unable to comment on whether Syrians will support the draft; sometimes the key question for constitutions is not the content, but who is proposing them and what the process is. I suspect that the process by which this constitution is put forward, debated and adopted will be more important for its legitimacy than its actual content.
Read more at Inside Syria Media Center